Xiaomi smartphone owners often encounter the unpleasant feature of MIUI firmware: the screen goes out a few seconds after the conversation begins, even if you do not put the phone to your ear, This prevents you from using additional features during the call — for example, turn on speakerphone, call to hold or view notes, the reason for this behavior lies in the operation of the proximity sensor, which by default activates the power saving mode when you detect an object near the top of the screen.
Complicating the problem, new versions of MIUI 13/14 have removed direct settings to disable this feature from the menu. However, there are workarounds – both through hidden developer settings and using third-party applications. In this article, we will analyze all current methods, including those that work on the Redmi Note 12, POCO X5 and other popular models from 2023-2026.
It is important to understand that turning off the proximity sensor can affect battery life, as the screen will stay active longer, and it can lead to accidental taps during a conversation if the phone is lying down, we recommend testing each method and choosing the best one for your use case.
Why Xiaomi’s screen goes out during a call: technical reasons
The main reason for the automatic shutdown is because of the infrared proximity sensor, which is located next to the front camera, which detects when you hold the phone to your ear and sends a signal to the system to turn off the backlight to save charge. In theory, this is convenient, but in practice, the sensor often works falsely:
- 📱 Sensor sensitivity: On some models (e.g. Redmi 10 or POCO M4 Pro) the trigger threshold is too low, the screen goes out even with the smallest approach of the hand.
- 🔄 Firmware problems: B MIUI 12.5–14 The sensor signal processing algorithm was modified, resulting in more aggressive screen shutdown.
- 🛠️ Hardware defects: Dust or sensor damage (such as after a phone drop) can cause false positives.
- 🔋 Power saving mode: When activating the function Ultraeconomic mode, the system forcibly turns off the screen during calls.
Interestingly, older versions of MIUI (up to 11 inclusive) were less likely to have problems with manually adjusting screen timeouts during a call, which is now hidden, but can be returned via developer settings or ADB commands.
If your Xiaomi is turning off the screen even when you’re not talking (like listening to music through a speaker), the problem may lie in another – for example, in the Auto Turn settings or Gestures.
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Before changing the proximity sensor settings, check it with a test. To do this, dial ##6484## in the phone dialer (on some models ##0*##) and select Proximity Sensor. If the sensor does not respond to the approach of the hand, the problem is hardware, and software methods will not help.
Method 1: Disconnecting the proximity sensor through the developer parameters
The most reliable method is to deactivate the proximity sensor completely, which requires you to turn on the developer mode and change the settings accordingly, and this instruction is suitable for all models on MIUI 12-14, including the Xiaomi 13, Redmi Note 11 and POCO F4.
- Activate Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone. Tap 7 times on MIUI Version (you will be notified "You are a developer").
Open the sensor settings:
- Return to the main Settings menu and select Additional Settings → Developer Settings.
- Find the item Disable proximity sensor (or Disable proximity sensor in English firmware).
- Activate the switch.
Advantages of this method:
- 🔄 It works without root rights and ADB.
- 📱 It supports all Xiaomi models, including Black Shark.
- ⏱️ The sensor can be switched off selectively (for example, only during calls).
Disadvantages:
- 🔋 The app works in the background, which can slightly increase battery consumption.
- 🔒 After restarting the phone, the service must be restarted.
- Connect your phone to your PC and open the command prompt (cmd) in the folder with Platform Tools.
- Enter the command: adb shell settings put global proximity_sensor_disabled 1 To return the original settings, use: adb shell settings put global proximity_sensor_disabled 0
For owners of new smartphones (MIUI 12+), this method is not suitable, but you can try an alternative:
- 🔧 Use the Xposed Framework with a module MIUI Tweaks (requires root).
- 📱 Install custom firmware (e.g. Pixel Experience) where screen settings are more flexible.
| Method | Required. root/ADB | It's working on MIUI 14. | Impact on the battery |
|---|---|---|---|
| Developer parameters | ❌ No. | ✅ Yes. | 🔋 Average. |
| Sensor Disabler | ❌ No. | ✅ Yes. | 🔋 Low. |
| ADB-team | ⚠️ ADB | ✅ Yes. | 🔋 Absent. |
| Manual timeout setting | ❌ No. | ❌ No, only. MIUI 11 and older) | 🔋 High. |
| Xposed/Castom firmware | ✅ Root | ✅ Yes. | 🔋 Depends on the firmware. |
Method 5: A workaround – using a headset or Bluetooth
If the software methods didn't help or you don't want to risk settings, you can go the other way, either with a wired or wireless headset, in which case the proximity sensor doesn't activate, because the phone "understands" that the conversation is not going through the speaker.
Advantages of this approach:
- 🎧 The screen is turned on throughout the call.
- 🔋 No additional battery consumption.
- 🛡️ Safe for the system (no changes to settings required).